The development leadership at Headway talks through how they're actually building software in the age of AI. From design systems and agentic workflows to vibe-coded apps and more, the team shares what's working, what's not, and what they're learning on real client projects. No hype. Just how the work gets done.
Screenshots and vibe coding only get your agent so far. The Headway dev team digs into what it actually takes to keep AI-generated code consistent at scale, from design system MCPs to structured component APIs to hooks that prevent drift.
19 Feb 2026
How Our Dev Team Actually Ships With AI in Early 2026
The Headway dev team breaks down the AI tools, workflows, and tradeoffs behind how they're actually shipping production software in 2026.
20 May 2024
07: System Architecture and Conway's Law
Dive into the intricate world of system architecture, focusing on Conway's Law and its impact on software development. Learn how organizational communication structures can shape the architecture of systems. The Headway team discusses the balance between creating independent teams for faster development and the potential pitfalls of unnecessary silos, especially for startups and smaller teams.
Listen to debates on the merits of microservices versus monolithic applications, with insights into how modern technologies like Elixir's flame pattern and serverless solutions like AWS Lambda can offer scalable and efficient solutions. They also discuss hosted environments, from on-premises setups to cloud-native solutions, and how new patterns and technologies make it easier for developers to build robust applications without deep DevOps expertise. This episode provides valuable perspectives and innovative approaches to system design and scalability. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that bridges theory and practical application in software architecture.
Discussion:
01:34 Diving into System Architecture and Deployment Evolution
02:20 Exploring Conway's Law in Software Development
04:04 The Challenges of Team Communication and Project Management
06:45 Efficiency in Small Teams: The Power of Three
09:04 Navigating Full Stack Development and Conway's Law
17:14 Innovative Approaches to Hosted Infrastructure Technology
27:32 Concluding Thoughts on Conway's Law and the Future of Software Development
Resources Mentioned:
Conway's Law and The Mythical Man-Month
Conway's Law - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_Law)
The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick P. Brooks Jr. (https://www.amazon.com/Mythical-Man-Month-Software-Engineering-Anniversary/dp/0201835959)
Elixir and the Flame Pattern
Elixir Language (https://elixir-lang.org/)
Chris McCord’s Flame Pattern Presentation at ElixirConf EU (https://elixirconf.eu/)
Flame Pattern Library (https://github.com/phoenixframework/flame)
Fly.io (http://fly.io/) Platform (https://fly.io/)
Serverless and Hosted Environments
AWS Lambda (https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/)
Supabase (https://supabase.io/)
Netlify (https://www.netlify.com/)
Vercel (https://vercel.com/)
Full-Stack Development and LiveView
LiveView for Elixir (https://hexdocs.pm/phoenix_live_view/welcome.html)
Hotwire by Basecamp (https://hotwired.dev/)
React Server Components
Related Articles and Blog Posts
Jason Fried’s Tweet on Team Size at 37signals (https://twitter.com/jasonfried/status/1367453007603116033)
Fly.io Blog on the Flame Pattern in JavaScript (https://fly.io/javascript-journal/flame-for-javascript-rethinking-serverless/)
Books and Frameworks
Shape Up by Basecamp (https://basecamp.com/shapeup)
Ruby on Rails Framework (https://rubyonrails.org/)
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/ (https://www.headway.io/)
16 May 2024
06: Design Systems in Action: Collaboration Between Designers and Developers
The Headway development team dives into the power of design systems and seamless designer-developer collaboration.
Learn about implementing design systems in various environments, automated design-to-code processes, and the crucial role of detailed design documentation.
Find out how tools like Tailwind and Storybook can enhance or complicate development. The team doesn't shy away from discussing the real-world implications of maintaining design systems and the delicate balance of collaboration required between designers and developers.
Discover how tools like Figma, Tailwind CSS, and Storybook can improve your workflow and consistency and reduce errors. Tune in for engaging debates and actionable tips on optimizing your design and development process. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, this episode offers valuable takeaways you won't want to miss.
00:00 Introduction
01:50 Defining Design Systems and Their Importance
03:22 The Role of Figma in Design Systems
07:51 Tailwind CSS and Its Impact on Design Systems
10:28 Exploring Storybook and Its Alternatives
17:32 Design Systems in Mobile Development
22:04 Collaboration Between Designers and Developers
33:02 The QA Process and Design Review
34:48 Balancing Design Review with Development Cycles
37:52 Upcoming Conference Talk on Design Systems
YouTube Content on Design Systems:
Headway YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@headwayio)
Design System Course for Figma (https://www.shipwright.design/)
Tools and Libraries:
Elixir Live Storybook: Elixir Live Storybook
MediCode Application: MediCode AI/ML Product (https://medicode.ai/)
View Component (GitHub): View Component (https://viewcomponent.org/)
Lookbook (Storybook for View Components): Lookbook (https://github.com/allmarkedup/lookbook)
Chromatic:
Chromatic: Chromatic Visual Testing Tool (https://www.chromatic.com/)
Tailwind:
Tailwind CSS: Tailwind CSS (https://tailwindcss.com/)
Figma and Design Systems:
Figma: Figma Design Tool (https://www.figma.com/)
Headway Design Systems Course: Headway Design Systems Course
Shipwright Design System by Headway: Shipwright Design System
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/ (https://www.headway.io/)
12 Mar 2024
05: AI and Machine Learning for Software Development in 2024
Exploring AI in Development: Tools, Privacy, and Local Hosting Insights
The Headway development team dives into various aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in development. Discussion topics range from using AI tools such as ChatGPT in browsers and code editors (including VS Code and Vim), to addressing privacy and security concerns surrounding AI. They explore options for running large language models (LLMs) locally to mitigate privacy issues and highlight Headway's internal developments in the AI space. The conversation also touches on consumer-facing AI tools, troubleshooting development issues with AI assistance, and the potential of hosting AI models locally for development purposes, showcasing Elixir's potency in the ML ecosystem through projects like Medicode and tools such as Live Book.
01:13 Exploring AI Tools and ChatGPT Experiences
08:27 AI in Code Editors: Enhancing Developer Productivity
23:13 The Future of AI in Troubleshooting and Development
33:10 Local Hosting of LLMs and Elixir's Role in AI
41:41 Wrapping Up: AI Innovations and Future Directions
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/
22 Feb 2024
2024 Reboot: What's Going on Lately with the Headway Development Team
We're back! Join the Headway development leadership team for a chat about RailsConf, Vim and VS Code, PWAs, Turbo Native, Rails 8, Elixir, React, and more.
We discuss recent steps Apple has taken constraining the capabilities of Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) in the European Union. The team also explores TurboNative, a tech solution that blends native and web apps, and Supabase, an open-source Firebase competitor built on Postgres. The resurgence in popularity of the Ruby on Rails framework is also discussed. The episode suggests that while JavaScript libraries like React continue to dominate, full-stack solutions offered by platforms like Rails are experiencing a revival, particularly for start-ups.
00:00 Introductions and Discussion on Technology Trends and Workflows
00:54 Exploring the World of Programming with Core Technologies
01:21 RailsConf and the Journey of Submitting a Talk
02:33 The Vim vs VS Code Debate
08:23 Exploring Other Editors and the Power of Vim
13:26 Apple's Decisions on PWAs and its Impact
19:15 Introduction to Turbo Native
19:51 Turbo Native vs Other Systems
20:54 Turbo Native's Unique Features
22:09 Turbo Native for iOS and Android
22:34 Benefits of Turbo Native for Clients
24:55 The Evolution of React and Rails
25:51 The Resurgence of Rails
26:51 The Future of React and Rails
27:33 The Flexibility of React
36:14 The Use of Supabase in Projects
38:56 The Challenges and Rewards of Consulting
39:51 Preview of Next Discussion: AI, ML, and Cloud Native
Hear from Jon Kinney, Partner & CTO, Tim Gremore, Development Lead, Dan Diemer, Mobile Lead, and Chris Held, Development Lead.
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/
4 Jan 2021
03: Static Sites with Gatsby (ft. Jacob Hebert & Matt McGee of Headway)
In this episode, Jon chats with Jacob Hebert and Matt Mcgee from the Headway development team about creating static sites with Gatsby. They dive into their experience with Gatsby on client projects and solutions they’ve found most helpful for CMS integration, styling, SEO, and more.
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/
3 Aug 2020
02: Team Retrospectives (ft. Andrew Stuntz of Headway)
Team retrospectives are a great way to understand what your team can improve on after completing a project. In this episode, Jon chats with Andrew Stuntz, Senior Developer at Headway, about specific ways you can make your team's retrospectives more impactful. That way you can get the most out of your meetings, prevent your team from talking in circles, and do better work together.
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/
1 Feb 2020
01: The Art of Storytelling in Product Development
In this episode, we discuss storytelling through pull requests and git commit messages and dig into how to effectively use git rebase to craft the story of your code.
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/
31 Jan 2020
The Craft of Creating Apps and Effective Software Development Teams
Jon Kinney, Partner & CTO, and the development team at Headway explore development methodologies and best practices that help teams build successful software. Learn about the format and content of the podcast as well as some background about your host.
Even-Keeled is a podcast by Headway, a digital product agency.
https://www.headway.io/
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Contact Even-Keeled
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Even-Keeled?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
